Photokina 2012: Casio Stand Report

The Casio stand is a little overwhelmed by the vast Olympus stand next to it but there are interesting things to be found there. Regular demonstrations of high-speed features have become pretty standard for Casio stands at these events, and some enthusiastic presenting and deft footballing skills helped attract crowds, showing off the ZR1000's high speed capture and 'triple zero' capabilities (aiming to minimize lag, blur and shake).

A special edition of the ZR1000 with a rather nice tan leather case helps celebrate 10 years of Casio's Exilim brand (which dates back to 2002's EX-S1). Even the standard edition of the camera looks interesting - a flip-up screen and lens control ring suggests a level of photographic control we're not used to seeing from Casio.

The frequent demonstrations on the Casio stand would attract attention

The ZR1000 special edition celebrates 10 years of the Exilim branded cameras

The Exilim EX-ZR1000 is built around HS Engine version 3 - the company"s latest high-speed processor.

It features a lens ring control dial and Raw shooting. It has a 16MP 1/2.3" CMOS sensor and 24-300mm equivalent lens.

Comments

I don't know what all the hoopla is over manual control in video mode... it's a tiny sensor compact... no matter how you spin it, it's LOW END. If you want better features and specs, there are plenty of other brands to choose from, offering models with more decent size sensors and some offer the control you want.

I can't tell you how pleased I was to stumble across this, the ZR-1000 is especially appealing to me due to the flip screen and build (CASIO cameras have always felt high quality to me).

However, my buying decision is, as always, restricted by the amount of control we have over video. I hope really hope CASIO have taken the time to implement manual control over the video as well as the stills. The only CASIO camera I ever saw with any such control was the iconic EX-F1, so let's hope CASIO feel their 10th Anniversary model deserves this feature too.

If it has manual control over video, it's sold without even seeing it :-)

PS: I would also like to congratulate CASIO on their return to the synthesizer market where they are understandably being welcomed back with very open arms across the scene. Both the XW-P1 and XW-G1 are proper workhorse synthesizers.

Almost have the cash saved for my CASIO XW-P1, it truly is a bloody fantastic machine!!!

the speed of the casios is unreal, the image quality is unfortunately far, far behind by any current PS standards. In fact a cell phone does usually better job.maybe casio should invest bit more in a quality instead of endless stream of new features. The camera would be amazing if the sensor is better and can actually sells in photo stores as opposite to drug stores and supermarkets.

For how long can this go on... these tiny sensors hiding away behind the marketing hype!? And then they wonder why they struggle to gain market share? Why target a presumably more discriminating and knowledgeable customer (re: RAW), and the product severely handicapped with an undersized sensor? Or put another way: why put something for the ignorant under the hood when you are targeting all but? This is an insult to our intelligence.

Not much longer... These are marketed towards the general consumer who may have used those single use film camera in the past. The pretty colors and big mp numbers are about all they see (forest/trees).

With better cell phone cameras now, the basic P&S offerings will be reduced with wide zoom range versions being more common.

There is no reason a 1/1.7" 12mp sensor couldn't be put into a low cost basic P&S that sells for $150. It won't happen to protect the sales of higher end models.

Casio isn't alone in making cameras with small (read; puny) sensors, so is Canon and Nikon. Though I agree that Casio's cameras have varied in quality, you really need to read up on tests, but they have faired roughly the same as most other makers compacts. It's no contest against a real DSLR but as a travel backup they do their work. This album is entirely taken with a Casio Exilim EX-Z1000 with a 10.1 Mpixel sensor, see link:http://bilder.rokkor.de/#19.0

If they did leave the US market, I didn't even notice. Back when I was looking for a basic P&S with decent IQ, all the Casio models were unimpressive. Of course, now with everyone putting these 16mp pin head sensors with horrid image quality I have given up on a decent quality basic P&S that doesn't cost an arm and leg.

in Canada they are sold in drug stores and a few models scattered among mass retailers... their having designed the products for that market - and the fact that there are no margins in the brand because of who sells them, I don't think any photography store could touch it and be profitable.

No problem getting CASIO cameras in the UK: they're everywhere from department stores, to catalogues, to serious camera stores.

Genuinely not trying to be sarcastic here, but if Americans are mostly snapping with iPhones, don't be surprised if manufacturers of real cameras decide to give up on your market, because the fact is, they would still be there if they felt there was a market for them.

I pretty much agree. Or, if they would port their high speed functions to an enthusiast compact, like the Fuji X10, Sony RX100, or such...But mirrorless... why not? I would suggest that they joined another already defined system, like the EOS M? Or Sony's NEX?

@KZMike: as much as you love Casio, I doubt that a company like Sigma would associate their name with a company that offers only marketing hype and sensors too small to be taken seriously by anyone half serious about photography.@fberns: last time I looked, their high speed shots are with a tiny resolution... something you can do with ANY processor... just write the software and you're good to go. the question is, who wants undersized low res stuff anymore? when you investigate beyond the marketing hype, there isn't much left.

Exactly what I noticed, unless they just do the presentations all day, every 2 hrs and try to attract attention, like the feeding of the dolphins at SeaWorld ;) Still, I feel kinda sorry for her, and the Casio photo division as a whole....it can't be selling many units, can it??

I am surprised by all these negative comments. The ZR1000 is an update of the much praised FH100, of which I own a copy, and which gives me far better pictures than other cameras, such as Samsung WB21 or Fujifilm F80. Now the industry is pushing us all to go for newer models, which have larger sensors, and those companies which work hard to make the best of existing parts, are good to bash hard.